Surprised you can get that level of control in iOS.
I wanted to build an app to turn on tethering automatically and you can't even change settings at all using Swift and the SDK.
I use an OnePlus 9 during my work day that only has Slack, email and other basic tools to get my job done. Once im done for the day I pick up my original phone.
Only thing that sucks is SMS / Phone calls do not transfer.
Apparently you cannot "unbrick" your apps until you return to this physical brick device. But yeah, you might be able to accomplish the same thing with a printed QR code.
Their sell is that you can leave the physical key and thus be unable to "umbrick" until you return to it. Interesting idea - sort of like the "leave your phone out of reach when in bed" advice I and many others follow. Maybe the physicality of it makes it a little easier to turn off the noise.
(Of course, you could always just delete your accounts on Twitter, FB, IG, etc. That pretty much worked for me to make my phone sufficiently utilitarian)
I think it is also a great way to disrupt some automatic habits that people fall into. I know with my ADHD I have tried to use app blockers and they all fail because the urge to procrastinate is so great that I found my self by passing them through various means just on autopilot. For me and my ADHD, having a physical process required would be enough to activate my brain and gain control and bring it back into focus. I am very tempted to try it.
Any idea how they managed to implement this in iOS? Normally I thought the iOS API didn’t give you access to stuff like this. I did see on one of their notion docs they mentioned blocking safari with an iOS shortcut so I wonder if that’s maybe how it’s being accomplished under the hood
The Screen Time API extends a little beyond what you get with built-in Screen Time, like the ability to hide apps. It's still a bit funny that this product bashes Screen Time for being too easy to bypass when you could also just set a pin that you then write down and cycle once you remember it too well. I do this to enable the passcode change lock and account lock to prevent full compromise in case someone shouldersurfs my PIN and steals my phone (been known to happen).
Screen time passcode is what I do too. The rule I set for myself is that my partner ist the only one allowed to lock it and unlock it. (Technically, you can always remove the passcode with the Apple password, but I don to that).
Screentime password for me is too automatic. Something like the brick may be enough to break out of automatic mode and into thinking about it at which point i may have a chance to stop my self. ADHD is a fun beast to tame.
I’m wondering what are the security mechanisms for this. What happens if your dog chews on the brick while the phone is blocked? Is there a “manual entry code” option in the app?
I feel like this isn't needed for kids, since you can just use the parental controls. The omnipresent password (that adults have for themselves) isn't applicable for kids.
It’s like saying you can’t smoke in your apartment, you have to smoke outside.
Sure, you are probably still addicted and will go outside way too much to smoke, but that’s also probably a great incremental tool to work on getting rid of your addiction.
WhatsApp already has statuses and it will get more "distractions". If things like "Brick" will be successful, ad companies like Meta will work around them by distractifying essential apps.
It's better to think about what we did twenty or thirty years ago. Ad companies of course prefer their "product" not to think about this. It's quite simple (but difficult to execute): just don't pick up your phone this often. Understand that ad companies are actively fighting you because they want you as a "product" sheep consuming ads.
Some tools, tricks and stratagems are helpful:
- Configure notifications not to vibrate or make a sound
- Airplane mode for some time-out, for example when hiking
- Leave the phone home and learn to embrace the helplessness
- Learn not to think too much about it and live in the now
- If you return home, don't open your phone immediately but do something else
- Leave the phone in a different room when sleeping
- Understand if you say you cannot that these are psychological tricks by ad companies
- Understand that it is an addiction and accept if you binge
- Don't try to find perfect solutions
- Everybody is different, so try to find your own tricks, tools and stratagems, but stick to simple things
- Adapt when something changes like unwanted features added to an app
- Generally smile, relax, understand, let it go and enjoy life
My phone is on do not disturb 24/7. I do miss some calls occasionally, but in general its been a big improvement. Been doing it for the past 8+ years. The phone is there for me, I'm not there for the phone.
You can have it on DnD and still allow calls though. I have the same on iPhone but 1 contact (my wife)is whitelisted and I always get notifications from her and _all_ calls go through because I never know from which number they call from the bank or school
>If things like "Brick" will be successful, ad companies like Meta will work around them by distractifying essential apps.
That seems like a very hypothetical situation and no reason to dismiss the product. I have tried (and apply) most if not all of your "tricks" and I still could see this as helpful. Whenever I have to apply willpower to something, it's like I have a little less of it for other things (similar to the concept of decision fatigue). If this thing could remove the choice in just a few situations, that would be positive.
I used to be on my phone for six hours a day and after realizing that it was virtually all wasted time I started trying to cut back. It was hard to break the addition but after years of experimentation I succeeded.
My strategy these days is very simple.
* All notifications are on silent all the time except for a tiny class of things - e.g. actual phone calls, and delivery apps.
* When I'm at home the phone sits on my toilet. When I'm at the office it sits in my bag. At night it's turned off and charging.
That's really it. <2 hours of phone time per day with no downsides. I bring it out of the toilet temporarily if I'm eating a meal alone, sometimes.
Physical separation from the device has been the key for me, whenever possible, it's simply not on my person, so my attention rarely goes to it.
I like the symbolism of this shitty device only having access to my attention when I'm taking a dump.
Happy to read that something works out for you. Everybody is different and the key is to find your own solution even if it is not perfect. Every second not wasted is a win.
The same rule applies to phone apps as to work email and meetings: the usefulness to you is likely proportional to the time/effort spent by the sender devoted specifically to you. Heuristically, it's inversely proportional to the number of recipients/participants.
So in messaging apps like Whatsapp I silence all notifications to groups (but not 1 on 1), and for email I read the contents of those addressed to me personally, but for dept/company wide email usually just the subject line.
Also :
- Delete the app, use the web version only (Social Networks and many others...)
webapps versions are often less practical on purpose (to make you switch to the app) and that's a good thing : it makes the experience less rewarding and we end up less hooked.
Example : Messenger was removed from the web mobile version of FB. At first it made me angry. In the end, I use FB less :)
> Understand if you say you cannot that these are psychological tricks by ad companies
In my case, biggest limit is the 2FA for work stuff.
Still want to have a "no phones in bedroom" rule when moving. Clear problem with it in the same room and much worse when it's handy from the bed itself.
And that's despite no notifications for almost anything (exceptions include banking), even just web browsing alone is an issue.
This is like telling an alcoholic to not drink as much, or, more aptly, like telling a heroin addict to try _not_ doing heroin. These apps are designed from the bottom-up to be extremely addictive to many people.
So what can we do? One wrote in this thread that they use parental control against themselves and put the code for the parental control in an inconvenient place to get to. Everyone is different. It is difficult but not impossible.
The budget option is just to go to settings and select "digital wellbeing and parental controls".
You can set timers to block your apps after X amount of time.
I've found it useful to block chrome on my phone after 30 minutes of activity.
You can of course 'hack' this setup by just switching off the setting or rewarding yourself another 10 minutes etc. but then you can do this with anything...
On Android you can customize notification settings with the OS including for limited durations. I didn't dig much into the marketing, but what's the gain here?
I really hope Apple comes out with an AW that has more battery life in lieu of all the outdoorsy/sports features of the AWU. I see lots of wealthy desk warriors wearing them, partly for the better battery life and partly for the status (of having the most expensive AW). I know some people who use some of the sports-related features, but most people I've talked to would prefer more battery than all the ruggedness. I know I certainly would. Get me to a week of battery life and I'm sold.
Does this have applications for kids/students? I could see a school using these sort of like how they use those pouches (but it doesn't require the pouches). I guess parents don't need it because the whole point of this app/device — the fact that the user has an always-available password — isn't true for children, whose parents have the password.
Still, I'm curious what others think of the possibilities for kids.
Well, between Notifications (mostly) OFF[1] and Always-DND Phone[2], it should solve most phone issues. Your only struggle will be to be able to follow this new nirvana.
Does anybody use the social part of the social media apps anymore? In my circles, nobody was using any social media to stay in touch with anybody anymore. They were just using them to consume the media posted by people they didn't know. That made it easy for me to delete all my social media accounts, as those platforms were no longer tools to stay in touch with anyone.
But people want those? This product exist for a very special niche - to be able to physically broadcast your performative victimhood/lack of agency without inconveniencing yourself with the actual, non-performative solution.
Is this the way most people would want it to work?
My partner has the opposite need - they want to be able to use the phone out and about but get stuck doom scrolling at home and need all the screen time things on in the evening
iPhone only at the moment to save others clicking.
I like the clever gimmick of the separate physical component, but existing blockers already allow switching via charger connect, I doubt it's more robust than those. And if you're on the move it's just an additional thing to carry. Nice idea in the home or office though.
So, a UX/design win maybe.
Lots of cheap software only alternatives though that should be good enough for most.
It's more about the self conditioning IMO. For me it was the flashing LED that made me question if something interesting might have happened somewhere.
By removing triggers I could adapt back to a more healthy relationship with my smartphone.
You can use social media and still don't get that hype / rush or FOMO.
I use my phone to run my company and write software. I hardly use my laptop; I get people who are addicted/obsessed with social media want something else. I don’t have that and I want a full functional phone. Dex is the best thing, with the worst marketing.
What are people doing on their phones all day? My sister (who's 40 this year) has her nose in her phone all the time, even at family events. I live right by a bicycle path and can see people driving by with one hand on the handle bar, the other holding a phone. Same for people at work during breaks. I'm genuinely asking.
Last 10 years of social media by trial and error crystallized perfectly addictive media form turning humans into dopamine addicted zombies. The form is a 30 seconds long vertical video with action and vivid music. It works and it's not a only trap for "dumb people". You open to check or learn "something useful" and one hour later you wake up scrolling the infinite feed.
Based off what I see when I ride/walk: Loads of Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Messages/WhatsApp. Games. Sports apps. It's basically a TV in your pocket.
86 comments
[ 4.5 ms ] story [ 134 ms ] threadI wanted to build an app to turn on tethering automatically and you can't even change settings at all using Swift and the SDK.
I use an OnePlus 9 during my work day that only has Slack, email and other basic tools to get my job done. Once im done for the day I pick up my original phone.
Only thing that sucks is SMS / Phone calls do not transfer.
(Of course, you could always just delete your accounts on Twitter, FB, IG, etc. That pretty much worked for me to make my phone sufficiently utilitarian)
A physical device you have to walk to sounds like an alternative for people with no girlfriends.
I never used Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok or Snapchat.
Nor Uber, headspace or Audible.
It’s the Henry David Thoreau of phones. I “own” apps dating back to 2010, and one of the first, Trunk Notes, works fine. I like wikis.
Even after buying this, they won't have that will power to not get it un bricked continuously.
Great device for kids though. Put the brick in unreachable place and you're golden.
It's a gimmick, but good gimmick.
Sure, you are probably still addicted and will go outside way too much to smoke, but that’s also probably a great incremental tool to work on getting rid of your addiction.
It's better to think about what we did twenty or thirty years ago. Ad companies of course prefer their "product" not to think about this. It's quite simple (but difficult to execute): just don't pick up your phone this often. Understand that ad companies are actively fighting you because they want you as a "product" sheep consuming ads.
Some tools, tricks and stratagems are helpful:
- Configure notifications not to vibrate or make a sound
- Airplane mode for some time-out, for example when hiking
- Leave the phone home and learn to embrace the helplessness
- Learn not to think too much about it and live in the now
- If you return home, don't open your phone immediately but do something else
- Leave the phone in a different room when sleeping
- Understand if you say you cannot that these are psychological tricks by ad companies
- Understand that it is an addiction and accept if you binge
- Don't try to find perfect solutions
- Everybody is different, so try to find your own tricks, tools and stratagems, but stick to simple things
- Adapt when something changes like unwanted features added to an app
- Generally smile, relax, understand, let it go and enjoy life
That seems like a very hypothetical situation and no reason to dismiss the product. I have tried (and apply) most if not all of your "tricks" and I still could see this as helpful. Whenever I have to apply willpower to something, it's like I have a little less of it for other things (similar to the concept of decision fatigue). If this thing could remove the choice in just a few situations, that would be positive.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/7/23950795/meta-whatsapp-st...
My strategy these days is very simple.
* All notifications are on silent all the time except for a tiny class of things - e.g. actual phone calls, and delivery apps.
* When I'm at home the phone sits on my toilet. When I'm at the office it sits in my bag. At night it's turned off and charging.
That's really it. <2 hours of phone time per day with no downsides. I bring it out of the toilet temporarily if I'm eating a meal alone, sometimes.
Physical separation from the device has been the key for me, whenever possible, it's simply not on my person, so my attention rarely goes to it.
I like the symbolism of this shitty device only having access to my attention when I'm taking a dump.
So in messaging apps like Whatsapp I silence all notifications to groups (but not 1 on 1), and for email I read the contents of those addressed to me personally, but for dept/company wide email usually just the subject line.
"Adapt" as in "just bend over and take it?
webapps versions are often less practical on purpose (to make you switch to the app) and that's a good thing : it makes the experience less rewarding and we end up less hooked.
Example : Messenger was removed from the web mobile version of FB. At first it made me angry. In the end, I use FB less :)
In my case, biggest limit is the 2FA for work stuff.
Still want to have a "no phones in bedroom" rule when moving. Clear problem with it in the same room and much worse when it's handy from the bed itself.
And that's despite no notifications for almost anything (exceptions include banking), even just web browsing alone is an issue.
Works extremely well.
Which "essential apps" are being controlled by Meta?
But we can't expect help from the ad companies.
So what can we do? One wrote in this thread that they use parental control against themselves and put the code for the parental control in an inconvenient place to get to. Everyone is different. It is difficult but not impossible.
You can of course 'hack' this setup by just switching off the setting or rewarding yourself another 10 minutes etc. but then you can do this with anything...
Still, I'm curious what others think of the possibilities for kids.
1. https://brajeshwar.com/2014/missing-step-productivity-activi...
2. https://phone.wtf
You might think you need them to stay in touch with some people but you don’t
My partner has the opposite need - they want to be able to use the phone out and about but get stuck doom scrolling at home and need all the screen time things on in the evening
I like the clever gimmick of the separate physical component, but existing blockers already allow switching via charger connect, I doubt it's more robust than those. And if you're on the move it's just an additional thing to carry. Nice idea in the home or office though.
So, a UX/design win maybe.
Lots of cheap software only alternatives though that should be good enough for most.
- I don't have a phone number in my phone. Just internet, so no distracting calls only messages
- I heavily use Nothing Phones options to categorize notifications. Which is brilliant and should be part of android stock.
- Possibly relevant notifications are shown on my Garmin watch. So in 95% or all cases my phone rings I know I don't have to look at it now
Not having any social media definitely helps as well
If you already have the willpower to completely avoid social media, you are not the target audience :)
By removing triggers I could adapt back to a more healthy relationship with my smartphone.
You can use social media and still don't get that hype / rush or FOMO.
I am using this app since nearly 3 years and I am not missing the colourfull clown-puke-esc like app logos one second.
Not carried one in three years and I am so much more focused and happy.